Contaminated Coal Waste

Coal Plants in Texas, Excluding Gasification Facilities

The seven conventional new conventional coal plants proposed to be built in Texas are projected by NRDC to generate 3,653,412 tons of contaminated coal waste, including 3,773 tons of toxic metals. Texas ranks 1st in waste production expected from new conventional coal plants, and 1st in toxic metals from those plants.

Texas ranks 1st in the country for contaminated coal waste, with 13,454,000 tons of waste reported to the U.S. Energy Information Administration in 2005. The state also ranks 1st in toxic metals contaminating the waste, with 8,915 tons of toxic metals, based on NRDC estimates.

Statistics for Proposed Plants in Texas

Plant

County

Estimated tons of coal waste

Estimated tons of toxic metals

Oak Grove

Robertson

1,314,629

1,372

Spruce 2

Bexar

586,234

612

Limestone 3

Limestone

545,197

569

Sandow 5

Milam

439,675

459

Tenaska

Nolan

439,675

459

Sandy Creek

McClennan

180,966

167

Coleto Creek

Goliad

147,035

136

Another new or proposed plant, the Summit power plant, is designed to use coal gasification, a process that results in a solid waste with significantly lower environmental risk than conventional coal waste. While NRDC believes all coal waste must be federally regulated, because of the lower environmental risk, NRDC lists gasification plants separately from conventional coal plants.

Statistics for Existing Plants in Texas

Plant

Owner (primary)

County

Tons of waste

Percent of waste disposed

Tons of toxic metals

Martin Lake

TXU Generation Co LP

Rusk

2,540,700

61.2%

1,903

Limestone (TEGE)

NRG Energy

Limestone

1,851,500

74.2%

1,145

Pirkey

Southwestern Electric Power Co

Harrison

1,499,400

95.3%

561

Monticello (TXUGEN)

TXU Generation Co LP

Titus

1,455,900

66.0%

1,076

San Miguel (SMIG)

San Miguel Electric Coop Inc

Atascosa

1,282,100

99.6%

308

Sandow 4 & 5

TXU Generation Co LP

Milam

907,800

80.8%

546

W A Parish

NRG Energy

Fort Bend

689,000

41.8%

634

Big Brown

TXU Generation Co LP

Freestone

655,900

51.2%

722

Twin Oaks Power One

PNM Altura

Robertson

456,000

49.3%

285

Fayette Power Project (LCRA)

Lower Colorado River Authority

Fayette

437,200

10.2%

275

Welsh (SWEP)

Southwestern Electric Power Co

Titus

217,000

24.8%

323

Tolk

Southwestern Public Service Co

Lamb

211,300

1.4%

212

Harrington

Southwestern Public Service Co

Potter

205,200

8.2%

220

J T Deely

CPS Energy

Bexar

195,300

2.1%

185

Sandow Station

Alcoa US

Milam

192,500

40.0%

No Data

J K Spruce

CPS Energy

Bexar

165,600

24.2%

136

Oklaunion

Public Service Co of Oklahoma

Wilbarger

146,000

26.7%

138

Coleto Creek

ANP

Goliad

144,800

43.9%

138

Gibbons Creek

Texas Municipal Power Agency

Grimes

104,500

2.4%

107

AES Deepwater

AES NUGs

Harris

81,000

0%

No Data

Odessa Ector Generating Station

PSEG Global

Ector

8,000

100.0%

No Data

Guadalupe Generating Station

PSEG Global

Guadalupe

7,300

100.0%

No Data

Percent of waste disposed indicates the proportion of contaminated coal waste disposed of in landfills, ponds, or on- or off-site disposal facilities. For detailed information on how each plant reported its waste disposal in 2005, see the detailed data Excel spreadsheet.

Sources: permit applications for new plants, Energy Information Administration data, NRDC estimates. The most recent data available from the EIA is from 2005 and it is possible that operational changes at particular plants will have changed the yearly waste volumes and disposal methods. Click here for detailed glossary of terms and our methodology.